Meeeitt gally



2 SheetsSheet 1.

I (No Model.)

M. GALLY. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Sept. 30,.1 84.

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(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2 M. GALLY. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Sept. 30, 1884.

INVENTOR) WITNESSES,

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

MERRITT GALLY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,806 dated September30, 1884.

7 Application filed March 6, 1852. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT GALLY, residing at New York, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing anumber of the working parts of an organ embodying several features ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of a part of Fig. 1, showing amodified connection of the valve with the music-sheet. Fig. 3 is aperspective of a portion of the indented or perforated bearing for themusic-sheet. Fig. 1 is a side view of the ratchet movement of themusicsheet motor. Fig. 5 is a side view of the chronometric governor ofmusic-sheet motor. Fig. 6 represents a portion of the music-sheet,showing the indicating-figures to which the governor is tobe set.

My invention relates to that class of musical instruments which aremechanically, or

mechanically and manually, operated, and the object of the first part ofthe invention is to.

provide a simple and effective means for operating the reed-valves of anorgan with a pneumatic apparatus connected with the exhaust-bellowswhich operates the reeds.

In my patent of October 7 187 9, is described and broadly claimed avalve for opening or closing the air-passage to or from a soundingpipeor reed, which valve is held to its seat while closed by a pneumaticdevice. The first part of my present invention consists in an improvedconstruction and arrangement of the parts. Instead of placing thepneumatic motors above the reed-chest and drawing the valves upward totheir seats, I place the motors B, Fig. 1, within the ordinaryexhaustchamber of the organ and support the valves by means of them fromunderneath, instead of by means of the ordinary valve-springs.

The surface of the pneumatics B is sufficiently larger than theair-surface of the valves .0 to

. hold the valves to their seats, and however much the air -tension ofthe exhaust in the chamber A may vary the relative power and resistanceof pneumatic and valve correspond, so that the valve remains tight underthe varying tension. This is a great advantage over the ordinary methodof operating pneumatic motors against spring-tension. The position ofthe pneumatics 13, supporting the valves within the air-chest A, allowsthe use of the air from the ordinary exhaust-bellows, G, for operatingboth reeds and pneumatics with no inconvenience from variable tension.

As shown in the drawings, the pneumatics B are vented by a smallconstant vent at h, which is sufficient for their perfect operation; buta valve may be used to close and open the vent, if desired. To free thereed-valve G from its support, and thus sound the reed, it is onlynecessary to open the air-passage F into the air-chamber A with a largeropening than the small vent h, and the pneumatic being overpowered bythe exhaust upon valve 0, the valve is instantly opened and the reed orreeds of that valve are sounded. The pneu matics B act as air-springs,and operate, instead of ordinary valve springs, when the manual keys areused. The manual keys operate either pneumatically or with ordinarypush-pins, as shown.

To operate the mechanism in connection with a mechanical music-sheet, Iuse a diaphragm-valve, D E, Fig. 1, or the pushingjacks 9, Fig. 2. Asshown in Fig. 1., the valve is held down by the power of the exhaustunder its diaphragm D, except when relieved by a current of air admittedthrough the music sheet tube 1, at which time the exhaust in chamber A.draws valve E upward. If not convenient to make the valve E light andbuoyant, a small spring may be used to aid its prompt action, as shown.In Fig. 2 the music sheet I) is shown acting more directly upon valveiEthrough the jacks g. The jacks are pressed down by the music sheet andrise through it when perforations or embossed portions of the sheet meettheir faces. Musiccylinders may be used to operate the jacks, ifdesired.

As different methods of operating jacks in mechanical musicalinstruments are common, I will describe particularly the novel featurein the jack movement, as shown. In using a perforated music-sheet tooperate jacks it is common to employ a grooved roller or a grooved boardabove the sheet as a bearing for i the sheet.

that when thin or flexible material is used for the sheet, the jacks,having bent the material into the grooves at any point, cause the sheetto be drawn together from side to side, moving the several lines ofperforations out of place. In Fi 3 I show a bearing, T, which isinverted to exhibit the surface which comes in contact with the sheet.This bearing is not grooved, but is indented only to receive the pointsof the jacks having a continuous bearing entirely around theindentations, which preserves the surface of the sheet which is heldagainst it by its direction of draft, as shown in Fig. 2. A stillsimpler method of constructing the bearing is shown T, Fig. 3, which isa perforated plate curved at its edges, and also at the edges of theperforations to prevent the sheet from catching in its movement.

The object of the second part of my inven tion is to secure anaccurately-timed movement to the music-sheet, and by aid of a chronometric governor to set the motor to any named time for music, or tochange from one indicated time to another while the music is beingperformed without stopping the progress of the performance. It is verydiificult, either by means of hand-crank or treadle, to preserveaccurate musical time, beside requiring a knowledge of the timeappropriate for every part of the musical composition. In music-boxesand orchestrians, which are entirely mechanical, elock-motors are usedfor operating the entire instrument. These require very expensivesprings or very heavy weights. The motors of these instruments must bestopped by any person wishing to change their time. Furthermore, theordinary use of fans cannot be accurate. In my invention I employ aclock-work only for the movement of the music-sheet or a small portionof the instrument, while the pumping of the bellows is attended by theperformer, who may pump only as required. I also use a comparativelylight weight or ShOlb l1l6Xl)61lsive spring, which may be readily woundup by the performer at intervals. I also use a chronometric governor,which maybe set to any given time, or may be changed to any desired timeduring the performance of a piece of music. I also place figures orsigns upon the musicsheet to indicate how to set the governor at thebeginning of a piece, or to change the time during its progress. Themotor with governor is partially shown in Fig. 1, with a hand-lever, a,for winding the weight or spring of the motor, and also a cord leadingto a foot lever, a, for winding, if desired. The governor is fully shownin Fig. 5. To the upright shaft XV are pivoted ordinary governor-ballssimilar to those of the governor of a steam -engine. The rods of theballs are terminated in rectangular bearing-levers, which bear upon theunder sur-.

face of a resisting friction-plate, t.

The plate t is attached to a vertical slide,

0", which moves up and down in the supporting framework of the governor.This slide is set to any given position by means of the ca1|1-leverA'orother suitable device. The hand-lever A is provided with a catch, whichwill hold it on any point of the graduated are over which it is moved.It is well known that the speed of the governor-balls will be determinedby the height of their rise in the are of their movement. Now, if theybe allowed to rise to any given height, the speed at that point will fixthe time of the motor. By setting the hand lever to a desirable positionon the are 13 the plate t will be fixed at a definite plane. The ballswill rise until the pressing-levers come in contact with the plate 1;,and at that instant the motor will be at the rate of speed re quired forthe musical time as set by the lever A. The time of movement cannot nowincrease, although the spring or weight of the motor has sufficientpower to increase it, as any further rise of the governor-balls, exceptthat which, produces mere contact of the levers with plate t, producesfrictional resistance which immediately brings down the governorballs tomere contact oftheir levers with plate 2, which action determines thespeed at that point. To increase the speed of the motor the hand-leverA" is raised on the arc, and to decrease the time it is lowered. Thefigures on the are E" in the drawings do not represent any particularmathematical ratio, although such a scale may be computed and employed,if desired. The figures shown are merelysigns to correspond with signsplaced on the musicsheet to indicate where and to what point the time isto be changed or set. A portion of the music-sheet is shown in Fig. 6with the time-figures marked thereon. It is desirable to make theratchet for winding the spring or weight of the music-sheet motor asnoiseless as possible, and for this purpose I use an cecentric for thepawl in connection with a wheel having curved teeth, as shown, 0, Fig.4:. The spring may be wound with the ordi nary ratchet-lever handle a,as shown in Fig. 1, or by means of cord Q, attached to the le ver a, asshown in Fig. 4.. The latter is nec essary when the motor occupies aposition in the instrument out of reach of the performer, or when it ispreferable to use the foot in stead of the hand for the purpose. In Fig.4 the cord Q passes around a wheel attached to a disk, I), which turnsloosely upon the motor-shaft. To the disk is attached the occentric pawlb", which acts upon the ratchetwheel 6. The ratchet-wheel is thickenough to. allow pawls a and b to pass each other in their movement. Areturn weight or spring, Z, is attached to the end of the cord Q. It

will be seen that the wheel 0" may be turned for winding themotor-spring by successive movements of cord Q up and down. When it ispreferable to use a weight instead of spring for the motor, theconstruction is shown in Fig. The heavyweight Y is the motor- IIOtachment; thence along the under side of the weight hung by a pulleyupon an endless cord, Q. The cordpasses over the motor-driving wheel D;thence under wheel E over wheel I; thence'through the pulley of smalltightening-weight, Z; thence over ratchet-wheel G, under wheel H, overwheel I through lever-pulley K, and over wheel with eccentric J. Thewheels 11 F 11 1 turn upon studs which are fixed in the frame-work.These wheels are used simply as tighteners for the cord, to prevent itfrom slipping upon without turning the motor-wheel. In the descent ofweight Y the eccentric a" prevents the cord 1 from being drawn, exceptfrom the motor side. To wind up the weight, the lever a is thrustdownward, and the pawl If prevents the cord being drawn, except to drawup the weight Y.

In my application for patent, filed March 5, 1881, I describe and claimfoot-pedals which fold into the case of the instrument out of the way ofthe ordinary foot-pedals, to be let down and used by children or personswith short limbs. In my present application I show an improvedconstruction of the ordinary pedal for adjustment and the folding pedal,the same not being herein claimed. In Fig.1 the base V of the ordinarypedal, 1?, is hinged at and to the body of the case, the base restingupon a sub-base, in which are notches or stop-blocks 1 2 3 4 5 for restsfor the support Z. Support l-is pivoted to hinged base V. The base maybe lifted, as shown by the dotted lines, with the support Z upright, orto a less degree by resting the support against any one of the severalstops 1 2 3 4: 5. The strap J from the bellows is not attached to thepedal, but passes through a loop at the point of ordinary atpedalthrough another loop at its hinged end, and fastens to the sub-base atp, which makes the strap seltadjusting as to its length for any positionof the pedal. The described adj ustment will meet all ordinaryrequirements; but if the instrument is to be used by very smallchildren, or it is desirable not to use the ordi nary pedal,the foldingpedal N R S may be used. Instead of using the panel N for the pedal, asdescribed in former application referred to, I use the panel as thesupport, the hinged piece It as base, and the hinged piece S as thepedal,

all folding together within the case, as shown folded, and also shownlet down for use by the dotted lines.

IVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a reed-organ in which the reedsare sounded by means of exhaust-bellows, the combination, with thevalves controlling the sounding apparatus, of the pneumatic springs,said springs consisting of pneumatic motors B, the valve and the springboth placed within the exhaust-chamber.

2. In a reed-organ in which the reeds are sounded by means ofexhaust-bellows, the combination, with valves controlling the soundingapparatus and a pneumatic bellows acting as a spring, both placed withinthe exhaust-chamber, of a valve for connecting the exhaustchamber withthe atmospheric chamber of the spring, to overcome the atmosphericpressure and allow the valves controlling the sounding apparatus tooperate, substantially as described.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with thesheet-winding mechanism, ofachronometric governor, mechanism,substantially as described, whereby the speed of said governor may beadjusted, and an index to denote the position of the governor.

1. The combination, with the music-sheet Y and jacks operated thereby,of the indented or perforated bearing, the indentations or perforationscorresponding not only in width, but

also in length, with the dimensions of the noses of the jacks whichenter them, to prevent creasing or distorting the sheet.

5. The bearing for the music-sheet, having the indentations or openingsfor receiving the noses of the jacks, made beveled at their ends, forthe purpose specified.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with themusic-sheet roller or feed mechanism which gives motion to the sheet, ofa chronometric governor and mechanism, substantially as described, bywhich the same may be adjusted to different kinds of musical time duringthe performance of a piece of music.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with themusic-sheet roller or mechanism which gives motion to the sheet, of agovernor consisting of a revolving pendulum or governor-balls, and afriction device for limiting the rise of the balls.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with themusicsheet roller or mechanism which gives motion to the sheet,

of a governor consisting of a revolving pendulum or governor-balls, afriction device for limiting the rise of the balls, and an adjustingdevice for adjusting the movement to musical or' metronome time.

.9. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with themusic-sheet roller or mechanism which gives motion to the sheet, and agovernor having an adjuster for adjustin g the same to different kindsof musical time, of an index for setting the governor, and a music-sheethaving characters marked thereon corresponding with the character of theindex.

MERRITI GALLY. WVitnesses:

J OHN THoMsoN, LYMAN H. Essnx.

